Don't Let Go
by Mistress Koko
Summary: She finally realizes this might have been all a waste if he's just going to end up going... But will a promise old and new keep them alive? One shot, MarlinxJill.


**So I was bored, and feeling a bit on the gloom and doom side and wrote this up. Feel free to say whatever you want or think whatever ou want I don't really care; its intended to be sad, gloomy, pessmistic, etc etc**

**Don't really care about reviews much either; review if ya want, don't have to and I don't mind any kind of reviews any really. I just wrote this up since I felt a bit down. I also wanted to post it up, since well, I just did.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters. Maybe I do own the made up daughter, Belle, but she's not really in this story much; just mentioned.**

**Don't Let Go**

When you told me that you will _always_ stay strong for me, until to the end, _did you mean it like this?_ When you told me that you will always stay by me, until you can no longer stand anymore, _did you mean it like this?_ And when you told me you would whisper to me every night 'I love you' until your very _last_ breath, _did you freakin' mean it like this?_

I sure hope not… Or else everything we have been through… Would have been for… Nothing…

"I love you."

"…I love you too." I said weakly, not even looking back at his weak jade eyes; my focus was at the floor of our home.

"Jill… Something is bothering you… Isn't it? Something has always been bothering you…"

My focus still stayed at the floor, my violet eyes could burn a hole at this rate. My heart was shattered, my stomach was turned so many times, it can never turn back to normal, and I tried to my hardest not to break into hysterics or show any sign of tears.

'_Cause if you can't be strong for me, I'll be strong for the both of us._

"Nothing… Nothing is wrong… Why would something be wrong?" I finally looked at him, my eyes empty like shells, as I could see his once tanned face from so many hours of working underneath the hot, harsh sun turning pale from his health and staying indoors. I tried my best not to sniffle, not to let a tear slip out, and not to show an emotion.

'_Cause I will be strong._

"You just seem so different… It could be just my imagination." He let out a weak chuckle and for the first time in months, I saw his face lit up; just slightly though. I almost let a tear out, but I stopped it.

"Yeah… Your imagination…"

"Don't you have any work today Jill? I'm sure I can be fine on my own for a while. Have you even seen Belle around? I think she went to town."

"Work?" I asked, as I placed my hand over his; it felt so weak, so cold. Nothing like it how was back then; so rough, so warm. I miss those rough, warm hands. "Belle went to see her Aunty Vesta. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Poor Belle, my poor Belle, _our_ poor Belle. I remember first telling her about what happened and she wouldn't stop crying for weeks; always putting on a fake smile for me and her father and leaving to town to just forget about everything. I don't blame her; I wish I could do the same.

"Aunty Vesta eh? She seems to be going out a lot lately; that's good, she'll be healthier."

"Yeah," I choked as I nodded, my hand squeezing his a little tight. "She'll be healthier."

Why… Why do you have to be this way…? You… You promised me… Years ago you promised me… How… How couldn't I have seen it? How couldn't I see this happen when I first agreed to marry you…? I'm such an idiot.

"Don't you want to visit someone?"

"Why do you want me out of the house so badly Marlin?" I finally asked him as I stared deep into his weak, but shining jade eyes. They stared right back at me and I saw him crack a weak little smile.

"I want you to be healthy too. All you ever do is take care of me day and night ever since Doctor Hardy first told us of my condition."

"Doesn't matter about me; I just want to see you better is all. Hopefully one day you can walk again." My voice cracked between each word as now both of my hands were squeezing his left hand tightly. I didn't want to let go, not for anything in the world. "I know one day you can walk, I just know it."

"I know I will be able to walk one day too Jill." He told me with this cocky little voice of his as he chuckled once more. He tried to squeeze at my hands back, but it felt weak, it felt soft… I nearly broke off in tears.

Hell I have been holding these tears for months now; they have to be released at some point, but not now. Not in front of him, I have to be _strong_.

I felt sorrow and a sort of weakness creep its way right into my heart as the not there tears were stinging my eyes.

"Marlin… Please don't let go…"

"What?"

"Please don't let go… Please don't _ever_ let go." I managed to choke out, my true feelings finally showing its ugly face right out of my throbbing heart. The tears, now flooding out of my eyes, strung horribly as I said these words. "_Please._"

"Jill…"

"I've tried so hard Marlin… So hard to be strong… For the both of us… Marlin… Promise me, like the millions of other promises you made to me before," by now, I'm blabbering out my words as the tears flowed their ways right out of my vibrant yet sorrowful violet eyes.

Suddenly, in the middle of my scene, I felt my hands that were squeezing his so tightly, being pulled towards his direction, where he laid, and I kept crying.

I felt a soft, weak hand go through my long, straight brown hair as my head rested on where his chest was.

"Jill, don't _ever_ be strong for us both; I promised you that I will be strong until the day I was gone." This only made me cry more as he shushed me; it didn't really help. "And I won't be gone for a long while."

"Bu-But you're no-not he-healthy an-and th-this i-is se-serious!"

"Ssshhh… Please Jill, please, don't worry. I promised didn't I?" he tried to sooth me with his weak yet somehow still strong voice as his hand continued to go its way through my hair.

"Promise me…" I managed not to stutter out with my tears. "Promise me you'll _never_ let go… Please…" I asked him quietly, oh so quietly for him to hear and only him. He's the only one I want to hear it.

"Why would I ever want to let go? I have no reason to, and I never will."

I only nodded as my tears continued to wet the sheets that were between my face and his clothing. Both of my hands held tightly to Marlin's hands as his free right hand stayed in my hair.

I would remember so many summer days when he would brush my hair with his nimble yet strong fingers, how my head would rest on his shoulder as we sat by river side and watched the water flow by. It was where our first date was, where you first confessed, where I first kissed you, no matter what you tell others, where you proposed, where I first told you that we were going to be parents, and where Belle was actually born.

_All in the summer._

And now it seems like our summer days were nothing but distant memories and this present… Doesn't feel real. Since we're not happy, since I'm not happy, since I don't think we will ever be happy _ever again_ if your health stays this way.

"Don't ever let go Marlin…"

"I never will."

I don't want you to let go, you don't want to let me go. Please don't let go, please don't leave me alone. I was strong for me, you were strong for me. I tried to be strong for us both, yet I can never do that if I don't feel strong. You are my life, you are my strength, you are my _heart_ and my _soul_. Please don't let go, please don't _ever_ leave me alone. Because I need you, and you need me; we need each other. We feed off our love and we feed off our strength but without you there is no love and there is no strength. So don't ever let go, and don't ever leave.

_For I promised to hold on as tightly as I could, no matter what and I promised that I will be your soul and heart no matter where we are._

"You really promise that?" he asked me before we lulled ourselves to sleep.

"Always and forever."

_Since I'll never let go._


End file.
